US extends humanitarian assistance to flood-hit Pakistan
Web Desk
RAWALINDI: The United States, through its Army Central Command (US ARCENT), has extended humanitarian assistance to support Pakistan, in the wake of the ongoing flood crisis, the military’s media wing reported on Saturday.
The Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) said a total of six relief flights are scheduled to arrive in Pakistan, carrying essential supplies including tents, dewatering pumps, and generators.
The first flight landed on Saturday, with the US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker and Commander US ARCENT Lieutenant General Patrick Frank present at the reception ceremony, the ISPR said, adding that the relief goods were formally handed over to the Pakistan Army.
“The consignments will be transported to the Army Flood Relief Camps for distribution among the flood-affected population across the country,” it said.
A fierce monsoon season compounded by India’s releasing water has brought immense destruction in the region this year, killing more than 880 and affecting over 1.2 million people in Pakistan.
The same US delegation led by Baker, who’s also deputy chief of the mission, along with commanding officer of ARCENT Frank attended interactive consultative session conducted by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) with United States Disaster Response Group at the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC).
The delegation participated in the first day of the two days consultative session in Islamabad.
Second day briefing was attended by Ivana Vuco, Disaster Expert for Asia and her team from the US State Department.
Chairman NDMA Lt General Inam Haider Malik briefed the delegation on NEOC’s advanced capabilities in addressing hazards and vulnerabilities, its disaster management outlook through early warning alerts and risk communication, coordinated relief and response efforts, anticipatory actions, and NDMA’s role in international relief assistance and global outreach.
The briefing highlighted the Comprehensive International Simulation Exercises (CISE), which engage foreign and regional partners to enhance disaster resilience. The discussion also covered risk financing through contingency funds and insurance for rapid recovery, integrated search and rescue operations using advanced technology and the success of early warning systems, which enabled thousands to self-evacuate during the 2025 floods, reducing casualties.
Baker lauded NDMA’s innovative disaster management framework, stating that Pakistan’s proactive use of technology and international collaboration through CISE sets a strong example for regional disaster resilience.
